FT’s Asia news editor denied visa renewal from Hong Kong

The Hong Kong government has rejected the visa renewal application of the Financial Times’ Asia news editor, reports Ben Bland of the FT.

Bland writes, “Victor Mallet, a veteran foreign correspondent and author who has run the FT’s news operations in Asia for almost two years, applied to renew his work visa last month but his application was rejected, without any explanation.

“‘The Hong Kong authorities have rejected an application to renew the work visa of Victor Mallet, Asia news editor at the Financial Times,’ the FT said in a statement. ‘This is the first time we have encountered this situation in Hong Kong. We have not been given a reason for the rejection.’

“Mr Mallet, who moved to Hong Kong after serving as the FT’s bureau chief in New Delhi, is the first vice-president of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Hong Kong.

“He was the acting president in August when the FCC came under attack from Chinese and Hong Kong officials for hosting a talk by the leader of the pro-independence Hong Kong National party, which was later gazetted as an illegal organisation because it was deemed a threat to ‘national security.'”

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